Vancouver to Hope: 150 km or 2 hours. 822 km or 9 hours 57 mins remaining to Calgary.
Hope is a cute little town lined with wood carvings and surrounded by mountain views. First Nations people (the Stahlo) have inhabited this area for thousands and thousands of years as hunter-gatherers. The first European settlement was Fort Hope, built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1848 even though the area was considered not a suitable trade route. Ten years later the area boomed with the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.
The road trip plan was to leave Vancouver early in the morning and head to the Fraser Canyon to have breakfast at the Elvis Rocks the Canyon Cafe. However, when we arrived at the cafe it was closed, even though we arrived an hour after the opening hours listed on the door.
There was no indication that the cafe would open so we left and headed back to Hope. This turned out to be a great choice because we stumbled upon the Driftwynd Bistro.
The food at the Driftwynd is the Rocky Mountain ideal and made from fresh, gluten-free, and local ingredients — all delicious. We opted for the Valley Bowl and Driftwynd Breakfast. Niña complained her mouth wasn’t big enough. Half an hour later, bellies full and minds content, we started our long and arduous drive through the mountains.
